PUBLIC HEALTH.

Marlborough Express, Volume XLVII, Issue 234, 3 October 1913, Page 6

PUBLIC HEALTH.

IMPORTANT STATISTICS

SATISFACTORY RESULTS

THE TUBERCULAR QUESTION

The annual ■ report of the Public Health Department mentions that^ the birth rate for the year was 26.48, slightly higher than that of 1911 (25.97). But for the low birth rate recorded in Victoria the New Zealand rate would have been the lowest in Australasia for 1912. , The death rate was 8.87, the lowest.hitherto recorded. The infantile mortality rate was 51 deaths per 1000 births. . Tliis is also the lowest infantile mortality rate recorded. " The following table shows'-the decline in the infantile mortality rate in the last ten years' in the four chief cities of the Dominion. 'It will be noted with interest that the infantile mortality rate, of Bunedin. (38 per 1000 births) toss ■lower than that for the whole Daminion (51 per 1000)-:— ' ; 1903 1912 The Dominion 81.08 51.0 Auckland ... ...... 121.48 57.0 Wellington ... 92.76 61.3 Christchurch 100.52 60.0. Dunedin ... .62.30 38.1 There has-been,a marked decline in the death rate from infectious diseases, and also from phthisis and other forms of tubercular disease. It is interesting to note that the mortality rates P per 10,000 of the mean population are the lowest recorded for the following diseases during the past five years,:— Enteric fever ... 0.44 Scarlet fever ... 0.07 Phthisis 5.04 .Broncho pneumonia ... ■ 1.10 Pneumonia 2.86 Diarrhoea and enteritis ...,..;. 2.61 Diseases and accidents to tKe • . puerperum ... ... ... ... 0.96 On the other hand there is'an increase in the death®rate from cancer (7.82), though not quite so high as last year (7.97), and from diabetes (1.41). The increased mortality rate in arterial diseases is well marked, viz., cerebral haemorrhage 2.13, arterio-selerosis 0.71, embolism 0.77. The comparatively high ' mortality rate from organic heart disease (12.23) is vdry noticeable.

TUBERCULAR. DISEASES

The .deaths from phthisis numbered 524, giving a mortality rate of 5.04 per 10,000 of the population, the lowest recorded. The deaths from other forms of tuberculosis numbered 192, the mortality rate being. 1.85, which is also the lowest rate hitherto recorded.

"..The report of. the tuberculosis conference was issued in February. Many of "the hospital boards-are acting oil'the suggestions contained in that report, and an effort is generally being made to.infuse energy into the tuberculosis campaign. The North Canterbury Hospital Board has been particularly active in its efforts to give effect to the resolutions of the conference referred to. and the'country is indebted to Dr • Blackmore (medical superintendent of the -North Canterbury Sanatorium) -for many valuable suggestions with regard to the conduct of the campaign. The Otago Hospital Board and the medical faculty of the Dunedin Medical School have also given most valuable assistance.

FARM COLONIES

Little or nothing has been done with regard to the establishment of farm colonies. • The Wellington and Otago Hospital Boards -have ample land adjoining their sanatoria for the purpose. The Boards consider that the establishment of these colonies is more a'matter for the Government than for the Hospital Boards. Beariifg in mind-the increasing cost.of hospital expenditure, it must be admitted that the Boards have reason to be fearful that the contributing local authorities will strongly protest at the substantial increase in the levies that the establishment of these colonies would involve.